Improvement in wheels for vehicles



H. H. FETTA. Improvement in Wheefs For Vehicles No. 130,851. PatentedAug. 27, 1872.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. FETTA, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHEELS FOR VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,851, dated August27, 1872.

Specification describing a certain Improvement in Carriage-Wheels,invented by HENRY H. FETTA, residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayneand State of Indiana.

The nature of my invention consists in providing a carriage-wheel thehub or nave of which consists of a single piece of cast metal, withmortises for the reception of the tenons of the spokes, and annularvertical flanges to sustain the spokes against lateral thrust or strain,the mortises being made tapering in the line of the axis of the hub, sothat by inserting wooden wedges in slits in the ends of the spoke-tenonsthe latter, in driving the spokes home, may be spread so as to firmlywedge in the mortise to prevent withdrawal and liability of becomingloose by reason of shrinkage. The spokes are also so formed and arrangedthat all the tenons shall be in close contact with one another bothabove and below the metallic divisions between the mortises of the hub.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the wheelhub in a plane at rightangles to its axis. Fig. 2 is an axial section thereof,

The same letters of reference are employed in both figures in thedesignation of identical parts.

The hub A consists of a single piece of cast metal, in the eye of whicha suitable recess is formed for the reception of Babbitt or othernon-frictional metal, which is cast into said recess andforrns thebearing-surface for the journal of the axle. An annulargroove, d, isformed in this bearing to serve as a reservoir for lubricating material.The hub has two circumferential flanges, B and (3, upon its exteriorsurface, which are connected by a series of ribs, D, the spaces betweenwhich constitute the mor tises in which the spokes are inserted. Theseribs or divisions D terminate some distance from the periphery ofthe-flanges B and 0, commortises, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The doublewedge-shaped form of the divisions'illus trated is preferred, but theymay be made of different form, in cross-section. The tenons of thespokes are made so as to touch from the circumference of the flanges tothe outer edge of the divisions D, their sides to this end beingv madeto taper radially. From the points of contact with the outer edges ofthe divisions they are tapered to fit the sides of the latter inward toits apex. Thence the tenons have parallel sides reaching to, or nearlyto, the metal at the bottom of the mortises, where they come into closecontact with one another so as to form an arch around the hub. The spaceat the bottom of the mortises, measured in the direction of the axis ofthe hub, is greater than that at the top, as seen in Fig. 2, for thepurpose of permitting the tenons to be wedged in the mortises. This isaccomplished by slittingthe ends of the tenons and inserting wedges E inthe slits before driving the spokes, in doing which the butt end of thewedges, coming in contact with the bottom of the mortises, causes thewedge to be driven into the tenon, spreading and tightly wedging it inthe mortise for the purposes mentioned. 4

What I claim. as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is I The herein-described carriage-wheel, composed of the metallic hubA, having divisions D, flanges B and O, tapering mortises, and spokesthe tenons of which are wedged in the mortises, as described, and formarches around the interior and exterior edges of the divisions D,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY H. FETTA.

Witnesses:

1). P. HOLLOWAY, B. EDw. J. EILs.

